of w h i t e s t



l'ntrh ,ffixttes @anni @fitte S A M ll E L W. G E

vIMPROVEIlfIEN'l IN DOOR AND WINDOW-CATCHES'.

dlt Stimuli nfrttrh in' in tips Etnias @nuit mit milking putt tige same.

'lO ALL WHOM-ll MAY CONGERN:

Bo it known that I, SAMUEL W. GEAR, of' Whitestone, in the county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ADoor and Shutter-Catches; and I do hereby declare vthat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a portion of this specification, in which- Figpre-l is an elevation ofa door vor shutter, together with t'uc frame thereof, fitted with a catch constructed according to my invention, the door being shown in au .open position.

Figure 2 is a, Vertical section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures. I A i This invention is designed, more especially, for application to the doors or shutters ofclos'ets, cabinets, und the like, which it is desirable to hold in a closed position, with such tightness as to prevent lhcopening thereof by ordinary accidental causes, but without hindering such opening of the doorL or shutter by thp use of a coulparntively moderate degree of force.y Y A l l j The invention consists in two curved springs, attached, one to thedoor or shutter, and thc otherm to thc frame thereof, and so arranged that when the door is. closed one will it into and `be clasped by the othcr'with suiicient force to secure the aforesaid door or shutter in a closed position, as hercinbefore mentioned.

To enable others to understand the construction and op'cration of my invention, I will proceed todescribe it with reference to the drawings. i A represents the rectangular frame of the door or shutter B, hinged to tbe said frame at one of its lateral edges, in the ordinary or any suitable manner. v -I The opposite 0r free edge of theaforesaid door 0r shutter has formed in it a recess, a, as shown in iig. 1, and situated inthe said recess is a spring, I1, of nearly circular shape, :intl fixed at its central part to the door, as shown at a', by any suitable means, but preferably by a. supporting-plate, ai", to which it is fastened at its just-mentioned central part, and which, in its turn, is attached to the door by a screw, a, theitwo end port-ions of the aforesaid spring b constituting, as it'were, two scmicircular elastic prongs, curving Ytoward each other, and projecting toward the inner side of the door,^as represented in the iig. ljust mentioned.

Attached to thatinner side of the frame A, contiguous to theft-ec or swinging edge of the door or shutter B,is a spring, c, corresponding in shape to the spring b, and secured in position by similar means, the extremities of the spring c being, however, curved or dared outward, as shown at e', the side, or rather the end portions of the said spring c projecting towardthelfront of the frame. The spring c being attached, as just sct forth, at the proper point upon the frame, when thc door or shutter Kis closed,v the spring b, strking between the flared extremities'ot' the spring cfiorce's apart the two end or side portions'.A thereof, and passing between them, is clasped thereby, the two springs b c yielding mutually, to allow the one to pass within the other, asjust mentioned, and as shown in iig. 2. The spring b, attached to thc door, being thus clamped within thespring cattuched -to the frame, the door is held closed with rsullieien: security against being opened b'y accidental causes of ordinary character, at the same time that it may be. swung outward or open by the application of u sufficient degree of force tojvithdraw the spring I) from the clasping action of the spring 4.', such force being the, most advantageously applied to a knob, d, affixed to the door, near the free or swinging edge tllOICOfwhat I claim as myinventicn, und desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

The two springs b c, constructed to lock one within the other, ns shown and described, und ill'rimged-in relation with cach other upon the door and frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

SAMUEL w. GEAR.

Witnesses:

J. W. Cooiuns, A. Ln Cranio. 

